Golf club swing training device

ABSTRACT

A device is provided for a golfer to practice the golf club swing. Crossed flexible tapes approximately 2 inches in width are stitched in the middle to form a central pad on which a golf ball is located. One of the tapes is stitched to form a loop in which is located a large metal D-ring on which is looped an adjustable tape which may be moved along the curvature of the D-ring. The tapes are spread out straight and evenly and fastened on the ground by means of golf tees or other pins located in grommets on the ends of each tape thereby forming four legs along the ground, one of which is adjustable. A golfer stands on one side or the other, depending upon whether the swing is right hand or left hand, and swings to follow the line of the tape to hook or slice or correct the swing by adjusting the tape.

" United States Patent [191 Medders [451 Nov. 18, 1975 1 GOLF CLUB SWINGTRAINING DEVICE [76] Inventor: J. Kenneth Medders, PO. Box 143, Resaca,Ga. 30735 22 Filed: oa.21,1974

21 Appl. No.: 516,444

Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Patrick F.Henry [57] ABSTRACT A device is provided for a golfer to practice thegolf club swing. Crossed flexible tapes approximately 2 inches in widthare stitched in the middle to form a central pad on which a golf ball islocated. One of the tapes is stitched to form a loop in which is locateda large metal D-ring on which is looped an adjustable tape which may bemoved along the curvature of the D-ring. The tapes are spread outstraight and evenly and fastened on the ground by means of golf tees orother pins located in grommets on the ends of each tape thereby formingfour legs along the ground, one of which is adjustable. A golfer standson one side or the other, depending upon whether the swing is right handor left hand, and swings to follow the line of the tape to hook or sliceor correct the swing by adjusting the tape.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 3,920,248

GOLF CLUB SWING TRAINING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1.Classification Training, teaching and practice devices especially golftraining and teaching devices. Also possibly games and entertainmentdevices. (Consider Class 273, Subclasses 183, 186, 187 and 191).

2. Background of the Prior Art There are many golf training and teachingdevices in the prior art. Some of these are elaborate mechanical deviceswhich attach to the player and attempt to control the swing and theother alignment and operation of the body. Other devices are stands onwhich the golfer is positioned and with various devices to indicateproper swing and to show what errors are being committed. Some of thesedevices are rather expensive and difficult to set up and operate. Otherstake up a good bit of space and are too large and heavy to be carried bya golfer in his bag or his briefcase and the like. Therefore, theseprior art devices can be characterized as either too complicated andannoying to use, expensive, or too heavy and bulky for the averagegolfer to have available. The present device is simple, lightweight andeffective.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide agolf training and teaching device which may be constructed fromlightweight, flexible tapes or straps, such as nylon fabric, with asimple arrangement to show the alignment of the feet, the desired pathof the ball and the direction of the swing toward the golf ball andfollow thru thereafter.

Another advantage of this invention resides in the inexpensiveconstruction whereby the device may be constructed from strips of fabricstitched together.

A further object of this invention resides in the simplicity of settingthe device up on any location such as a golf tee, a flat portion of lawnor any other location in a quick and expedient manner.

Another advantage of this invention resides in the simple way thedirection of the swing is indicated.

Another and primary object of this invention is found in the lightweightconstruction of the device and the arrangement in the flexible strapwhereby the device may be roller up into a small bundle and carried inthe golf bag or briefcase and later to be set-up with ordinary golftees.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent upon reading the following specification taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thepresent device with a typical golfer shown in dotted lines swinging agolf club.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1 showing theadjustment of one of the tapes in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through one of the strips of fabrictaken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The device is referred togenerally by reference numeral l and comprises four radiating members12, 14,

2 l6 and 18 which are located approximately degrees apart and each in astraight line about a center 20 on which is located the golf ball 22.Each member 12, 14, 16, 18 is fastened in place on the ground by meansof an ordinary golf tee 25 inserted through a grommet 26 in each of themembers 12 et al.

The members 12, 14, 16 and 18 in a preferred form are constructed fromnylon strip fabric tape material and may also be made of other materialsuch as plastic of various makes and manufacture as well as wovennatural fabric material such as cotton and the like. Each member12, 14,16 and 18 is turned back on itself and stitched toform a doublethickness thru which the grommet 26 is inserted.

The strip including members 14 and 18 thereon may be made as acontinuous strip of material with the member 12 looped and stitchedthereabout at the center. There is also another loop of materialdesignated by reference number 28 on the end of the member 16 in whichis positioned the long curved side of the D-ring 30 which is also heldin place by a loop of fabric 31 on the center on the other side of theD-ring 30, which loop 31 is actually a stitched continuation of member12.

In the operation of the device, depending upon whether the golfer is aright hand or left hand player, as shown by the diagrammatic footprints32, 34 in FIG. 2, the golfer stands on one side or the other near theend of member 14 or 18 and addresses the ball 22 in the usual manner,swinging the club along the path of the member 16on the down stroke tostrike the ball and follow thru in the direction of the path of themember 12 leading therefrom. In order to hook or slice the member 16 ismoved by removing the golf tee 25 in the grommet 26 and shifting it tothe right or left and then reinserting the golf tee 25 in order topractice hooks or slices. The ends of members 14 and 18 indicate theapproximate distance from the center 20.

While the device could be manufactured from a stiffer or more rigidmaterial, such as thin aluminum tape, the use of a flexible materialsuch as woven nylon fabric makes it possible to roll the entire deviceabout the center in one small bundle and then to carry same in the golfbag or briefcase and then to set the device up at any time even on anindoor mg or carpet without using any tees 25, simply by laying themembers along the surface.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of thisinvention together with suggested use and mode of operation thereof,this is by way of illustration since various alterations, changes,deviations, eliminations, revisions and departures may be made in theembodiments shown without departing from the scope of the appendedclaims and a proper interpretation thereof.

What is claimed:

1. In a golf training and/or practice device:

a plurality of elongated golf practice members extending in difierentdirections from the junction of said members, a golf ball positioned atsaid junction, said golf practice members being positioned substantiallyflat against a practice surface to extend from said junction, one ofsaid golf practice members being adjustable in direction from one sideto the other over said surface with respect to the junction wherebyadjustments may be made in the direction of the swing of a golf clubswung by a user to indicate a hook or slice, another of said golfpractice members indicating the location of the users foot andapproximate distance from the center, and another of said membersindicating the follow through from the direction of swing along theadjustable member.

2. The device in claim 1 wherein said golf practice members are flat,flexible tapes which may be folded into a compact bundle.

3. The device in claim 1 including a fourth member extending from saidjunction, said one of said members being connected to said junction bymeans of an adjustable connection whereby said member may be moved toone side or the other to indicate hook or slice.

4. The device in claim 3 wherein each member has an opening near the endthereof in which a retaining means such as a golf tee may be inserted inthe ground. 5. The device in claim 3 wherein two of said members extendcoextensively in opposite directions from one continuous strip ofmaterial and a third of said mem i bers is attached approximately to thecenter thereof.

6. The device in claim 5 wherein the fourth member is the adjustablemember, a closed ring member attaching said fourth member to saidjunction and said fourth member being adjustable on said ring.

7. The device in claim 6, wherein said third member is turned back uponitself at the center and fastened to said continuous strip at the centerto capture and hold said ring.

1. In a golf training and/or practice device: a plurality of elongatedgolf practice members extending in different directions from thejunction of said members, a golf ball positioned at said junction, saidgolf practice members being positioned substantially flat against apractice surface to extend from said junction, one of said golf practicemembers being adjustable in direction from one side to the other oversaid surface with respect to the junction whereby adjustments may bemade in the direction of the swing of a golf club swung by a user toindicate a hook or slice, another of said golf practice membersindicating the location of the user''s foot and approximate distancefrom the center, and another of said members indicating the followthrough from the direction of swing along the adjustable member.
 2. Thedevice in claim 1 wherein said golf practice members are flat, flexibletapes which may be folded into a compact bundle.
 3. ThE device in claim1 including a fourth member extending from said junction, said one ofsaid members being connected to said junction by means of an adjustableconnection whereby said member may be moved to one side or the other toindicate hook or slice.
 4. The device in claim 3 wherein each member hasan opening near the end thereof in which a retaining means such as agolf tee may be inserted in the ground.
 5. The device in claim 3 whereintwo of said members extend coextensively in opposite directions from onecontinuous strip of material and a third of said members is attachedapproximately to the center thereof.
 6. The device in claim 5 whereinthe fourth member is the adjustable member, a closed ring memberattaching said fourth member to said junction and said fourth memberbeing adjustable on said ring.
 7. The device in claim 6, wherein saidthird member is turned back upon itself at the center and fastened tosaid continuous strip at the center to capture and hold said ring.